Low End John Deere Lawn tractors

I'm buying a new riding lawn mower this weekend and I hope to get some useable input to convince me that a low-end John Deere is worth a $500 premium to get the same specs I could get for less in another brand.
I mow about an acre which is right in line with the intended usage for these mowers.
Yes, I realize you get what you pay for but I can’t afford a $2-$3K mower so my choices are basically the D100/D110 John Deere, or one of the many similar mowers that cost about $500 less.
I've had a series of used Craftsman and other MTD fodder and have just gotten tired of fixing something about every three times I mow. The engines (Yes, Briggs and Stratton) actually hold up fine…it’s the deck and other non-engine mechanicals that are usually the problem.
So, I'm faced with the dilemma of what to buy...I know I can get a $1000 mower and it'll work fine for a few years but what ends up happening is that at some point, you have to decide if that "cheap brand" is worth still putting good money into to keep it running.
There was a lot of stink about John Deere making cheap mowers for sale at the big-box stores(Lowes/Home Depot) going around for a time, but from what I can tell, with the exception of one particular model made special for Home Depot, the models they carry are the same as what the John Deere dealer sells. A D100/110 is the same exact mower sold at the Deere dealer. That’s not to say that these lower-end models aren’t made cheaper with an eye to getting more sales from us cheapsters.
I went and eyeballed the mowers in person and compared them to stuff from MTD(Various brands) and Troy Built. The Troy Built looked a little better made than the John Deere stuff, but then I read the reviews from various places…John Deere(even the cheapest D100) got overall great reviews in quantity while the troy built was the subject of lots of unhappy reviews. The john deere was pretty, but it sure looked suspiciously similar in design to all the other cheap ones…
If nothing else - I'm thinking that a "low-end" John Deere will have the same going for it that Harley Davidson motorcycles have going for them...Even though they are crap compared to Japanese bikes, lots of people will pay top dollar for a used one since it has the "HD mystique"(and lots of shiny chrome)  … so I could probably sell it easier when it become a problem.
Do any of you fellows have any wisdom for me on this issue? I’ve made some assumptions and have no problem being corrected; it’s how I get smarter.

I can't speak to the newer models, but I picked up a used John Deere Sabre (which was a cheap version of JD, not even the same color green,) several years ago. 16 HP Briggs single, hydrostat tranny, 46 inch deck. That thing mows as good or better than any mower I have ever had. I really haven't done anything to it except change the oil and sharpen the blades.

I'm in the same spot as you . I need a cheap mower but want it to last . I'm going old school with an older mower that has REAL steel and cast iron motor . Iv'e been eyeballing some wheel horses as some of them are even cheaper than the deere's. Old cub cadet with the K kolhers are brutes also .

I bought the Scott's at Home Depot (16.5 HP Kohler with hydro stat) by Deere the last year they painted them Orange before they got the Green and Yellow. I think that was 8-9 years ago. I have a smaller size lawn but my son had a 2 acre lot that we mowed using it and a 10 HP 20 year old Sears I also owned. He sold the 2 acres and bought one acre that we mow about 10 times a year. Also mow the camp and feeder areas at the deer lease. Only problem I had was when the son ran over a piece of wire and bent a pulley when it was about 1 month old. Have had to put about 3 batteries in it and oil changes.
The Sears was a 10 HP with 6 speed and I don't recall ever having a problem with it. Gave it to my son who used it 2 years then he gave it to a friend.

We went through this with a mower for my father three years ago and ended up spending more on a JD X304. From what I could tell the LA series of riders sold by the Deere dealer, and those at the big box stores looked the same. Only one Deere dealer in the area however sells the cheap ones. The other dealer refuses to sell or service the cheap ones. My Father mows 3+ acres with his X304 and has not had a single issue. It runs great, cuts great, and he cannot say enough about it. The neighbors heard about it so much they traded their Troy-Bilt 0-turn job for a X320. How well the LA or D series will hold up, I am not sure. The dealer that wont sell or service them had a X series and a LA side by side in their showroom and there was NO comparison between quality with the X series being better all around. I don't think I helped answer your question really, but I had to add my .02 about the ones that cost a bit more.

My dad bought a Honda riding mower in the early 80's and I'm using it now. Haven't had a problem with it, just oil, belt & blade changes. Of course, Hondas are high priced but I think it was a good investment.

If you can find a older LX series Deere that had a decent home these were good mowers. I'd rather have one of these then any of the new elcheapo's.

Check into what kinda bearings or bushings are used in the deck spindles also when comparing these new models. May be hard to find info on them though. I never liked MTD stuff always a pain to get parts. Not too bad now as most cub cadet dealers can order the parts for them.

I bought a L130 in 05' I wanna say that was 26 horse/48" deck. Good mower, put blades and a battery in it one deck belt and changed the oil- about all I ever had to do to it. At that time I mowed about 2.5 acres, built a new house- turned some pasture into lawn and increased my mowing to about 5 acres which took about 6 hours to mow, so I bought a kubota diesel zero turn- and sold the L130. I do know that buy from a dealer not a big box store as there is a difference. When I was selling mine that was the first question people asked.

Have you looked on craigslist? There's always mowers for sale there.I've seen some of those 2000 dollar lowes mowers a year old selling for 900.

I have a Cub Cadet 72 (1970) with a 12-hp Kohler engine that served me well for more than 12-years. You can still get parts from Cub Cadet. This is a standard shift with 3 forward and 1 reverse gears.

I also have a CC 125 (Automatic) 42-inch deck that works very well.

I have 2-acres that can be mowed in about 3-hours.

There are also some of the old John Deere tractors that are power houses.

Why the rush,won't the one you used over the summer last a litte while longer? You might find a good used one thats a lot of mower for your money if you can wait till the grass cutting season is over not to long from now. I wouldn't care about what color it is either. Just go for a mower that looks like it has a lot of life left in it thats a good buy. My 2 cents worth

Some of the frames on the older stuff is three times the thickness than that of the new china crap . Old cubs are wanted for pulling tractors they are so tough.

My 2 cents I am still mowing 1 acre with a 1973 JD 110 8 horse Kholer that is a joy to mow with, best 400 I ever spent Dave K

if you do some serious looking at those mowers, you will find they are the same quality of a Poulan, MTD, Troybilt, Sears, and such, you get what you pay for. They have the same issues as the cheap box store mowers, if a spindle goes out, you cannot rebuild them you buy a new assembly, price is about 70-80.00. As one person said, wait, look on CL and find a good LX series mower, or better yet, look for a 318. You will have a lot more mower in a good used older one than a new low end mower.I work on lawn equipment for a living, and the quality of JOhn Deere low end mowers leave a lot to be desired, light frame, light deck, etc.....

I bought a used X304 three years ago. It had 65 hrs on it then. I bought a set of blades for it, an air filter, and an oil filter since. 17 hp Kawasaki, and 42" deck. Never had a better mower.

My grandmother is still mowing her lawn with the 1966 110 John Deere her and grandpa bought new.

I am using a 1986 John Deere 216 I paid $400 for a few years ago. In my opinion both the 110 and 216 are much better built than the newer el cheapos.

My dad paid much more for his 318, but the power steering is sure nice!

I have had three mowers and operate several more. Snapper, Ariens, Cub Cadet, MTD/Yard Man, Lawnboy (push style), Grasshopper, John Deere, Big Mow, Dixon, and a Coast to Coast (walk behind). My favorite were the two 318 John Deere's I operated for a man I worked for some years back. The 1960/1970 vintage 100 series and 1980's vintage 200 series were built pretty well and most had, what I believe, were long life Kohler engines. I bought a late 1980's vintage 318 that I had for my rural acreage. Loved the tractor and the ease of handling with the power steering, but the engine was getting tired (nearly 1400 hours when I traded) and parts for the Onan engines were very expensive. I had planned to re-power the tractor until I found a nice 425 AWS with only 550 hours, which was going to cost me about the same to trade up versus re-powering. The deck is better built and does a better job of cutting than my 318 did. The liquid cooled engine on the 425 is, in my opinion, a very good engine. Occasionally I have an electrical quirk with it, but I have no major problems with the 425 and I love the AWS and power steering. The point of the story is that I believe my 318 and 425, used, would outlive one of those Home Depot specials. The 425 or 318 is like buying a 4440 farm tractor. Taken care of, they will last a lifetime.

Thanks to all for the input
My current mower is DOA and my grass has gotten really bad while I tried to bring it back to life. I know I can get a quality used one but it will still be used. I'm ready for something with nothing on the clock....I don't want to run the gauntlet on a used one.
I guess the root of my question is: Are the John Deere D100/110 any better than a $1000 MTD(aka cheapo) mower. It's basically a $500 premium for the green paint and I am willing to pay it if I'm getting a $500 better mower.
In other news - husqvarna has a hydro-drive w/a v-twin (21HP) engine for $200 less than the D110...and that's a good name too...but I'd have to order it sight-unseen.

Maybe I can help you out on this one since I work in the
factory that produces those mowers. I"ve been there for 16
years so I"ve been there for the Sabre, Scott"s, L,LA,D and G
series. First I"ll say this...there is ZERO difference in what the
dealer sells and what Lowes and Home Depot sells. They are
built at John Deere Power Products in Greeneville TN. They
are built by Deere...and the hydrostatic transmissions are built
in TN also. Yes it"s true that Deere uses Briggs like lots of
others so there isn"t any difference there...the differences are
in the deck and frame. The decks are 14 gauge steel on the 42
and 48 and 11 gauge on the 54. The brackets on the decks
are mig welded and not bolted on and the frame is welded and
not bolted together....and the steel is stamped here in the
USA.In some aspects they are the same as the
competition...seats...steering wheels...wheels and tires...but
they try to be better than the competition where it really counts
like the deck...frame...hydro transmissions...etc. If you have
any questions I"ll try to help and answer them the best that I
can.

I don't know what a D110 is but I have an L110 that I have had for
about 10 years. Put one idler pulley on it in that time in addition to
several sets of blades. Has a 17.5 Kohler Command and 42" double
blade mower. Seat vinyl has started cracking but otherwise it is a
good mower for what it is. I use full syn oil in it and change that
and the filter once per year.

Mark

You are in a delima. Corporate USA is selling the cheapest thing produced for the highest amount of cash. Called the Walmart concept and all the distributors has gotten caught up in the frenzy. I'm sure the Deere model is no different. Why is cheap you're only concern as you will spend your money and still not really have anything worthwhile. Look on craiglist and get an older unit heavier built that someone has take care of, you'll be money ahead.

I forgot to mention... If you buy one at lowes,home depot or
the dealer, then the dealer sends somebody to your house to
check it over, show you some of the features and explain any
questions you may have. I know there isn"t anyone else that
does that...that I know of anyway. Yes it"s true..Deere always
ranks at the top of consumer reports compared to the
others...and it"s because they are not all built the same. I was
at a TSC a few weeks ago and they had a cub cadet raised up
showing the deck and I noticed the baffle next to the blades
was bolted on. Ours are welded...it"s things like that, that make
a difference. Am I trying to talk you into one?...not really... I"m
just telling you why they rank higher and how they are different
from first hand experience.

I would recommend going to the Lowe's and Home Depot web pages and read the customer reviews for each mower. You will find many happy and unhappy owners of each mower. Also if you compare the specs for the 42" Deere to a Cub,,, The Deere weights 450lbs vs the Cub at 614lbs..Looking at them side by side the Cub looks a lot beefier.

You are right on. Buy the 318-425-445-455 and you will be buying a lawn TRACTOR with a mower deck attachment. These will last forever if you take care of them . I have a 445 that I rescued from the dealers junk pile and fixed it up ( all cosmetic ). I would be willing to fix , replace anything on it because they are worth it .

I have owned a LA130 for about 6-7 years now and have had almost trouble free time with it. I was in your same shoes back then when it was bought at the Depot. I am a mechanic by trade, like everything else, if you take good care of anything (even a cheap made mower) it can/will last depending on YOU! No, they are not top quality... but I assume you don"t own a mowing service and hopefully don"t mow rocks or tree stumps with it like my neighbor does! As far as price, well let me say this... at least with a Deere product parts will always be available down the road. Can"t say the same for many others out there. If you do tend to use and abuse then I do recomend either an older (200-300 series) like others have stated here or a G heavier made newer Deere.

Are the John Deere push mowers also made by Deere?

I bought a L118 JD in 2005 it now has 700 hrs on it and for what that thing has been through its a great mower

I"ve been mowing with an old 212 for the last 20 years, the deck is getting thin but it still gets the job done,,They are sorta like an old 4020, no frills,,just gets"r Done...

We built them in my factory until about 5 years ago and they moved them out and to be honest I do not know where they are built now. I can tell you that all the baggers and attachments are built by Deere. We build the baggers for all the Deere mowers and we build a lot of the service parts and attachments in my factory.

My 1991 model 180 is still used for mowing. Still running
strong. Been to the dealer once in its lifetime because it wasn't
charging the battery.

When I bought mine HD was just starting to handle the brand. Under the seat was a sticker containing contact info for the local dealer. The deal HD made with mother Deere was that the box wasn't going to undercut the dealer so the prices were the same. HD said to contact the dealer for any help you require.

Why did I buy from them? I don't know. Guess I was too lazy to drive on down the road to the dealer.

Oh and Murray builds most any mower (hand fabricated deck zero turn types excepted) these days to the specifications given to them. They can build you a tin lizzie or a Cadillac. Just depends on the spec. Called "design to cost". Also, if it meets spec, it is a quality product. Just because it isn't full of bells and whistles doesn't mean it is inferior; just that they were not part of the design requirement. How do know? I used to work for an OEM.

Mark

I understand the pride in ownership of something new, but that is really just ego in most cases, and the cost is severe initial depreciation. Like others on here have said, you can get way more for your money if you buy used and let someone else eat the depreciation. Now that requires doing your due diligence in inspecting and making sure you are not buying a lemon, but it is not difficult.

You can make a serious upgrade for the same money, like going from tractor to zero turn, stamped to welded deck, lower guage steel (thicker), heavier frame, bigger spindle size, etc.

You did not mention what you are mowing. If you have a small manicured "lawn", then it really doesn't matter. Anything will handle that, and it is what all the homeowner cheapo mowers are made for. If you have a large country "yard" and mow weeds, deer stand shooting lanes, and whatever comes, then you will wreck one of those quickly and would be just wasting money. If you buy the heaviest duty that you can afford, whether new or used, you will be far ahead.

Probably doesn't apply to you exactly, but over a lifetime, I have went though many Murrays, Snappers, Sears, Cubs, and even low end Joohn Deeres, and none of them would stand up for more than a few years to rough use. I finally bought a used John Deere commerial grade 757 zero turn, and it is like night and day. It will handle anything, does such a better job, is so much faster, cuts better, more power, no problems, and I believe it will last forever. It is hard to imagine the difference until you experience it.

Murray is long gone. Briggs bought them out and sold them off. Briggs has started building mowers now. If you bought your mower from home depot back when they first started selling the brand then yes it was built by Deere in our factory. If it is a steel deck mower then it was welded in house. I've welded thousands of those js60,js61,js63 decks.

I would echo the statement below that whether HD or Deere dealer, exactly the same mower. In fact, the local dealer near the HD that has a Ready to Mow trailer does all of the setup on the Deere mowers, not HD themselves.
As to quality, undoubtedly higher, I sold mowers for 3 years, trust me. Also guess what I would give you for an MTD if you wanted to trade it in vs. a used Deere, very little.
Final thought, if the MTD breaks, the local box store will have no clue where to get parts. If the Deere breaks, your local dealer may have the part in stock, can get it next day on a machine down order, or in two days freight free on a stock order. They also have a fully staffed service dept that can do the work for you if you can't. Absolute no brainer to me.
Lavoy

I paid 1500 for a gently used GT275. I cant ask for a better used mower. The Kawasaki engine and hydro tranny, with a 48" deck are a great combo. I cut about an acre of grass a week.